Opinion | Naomi Osaka and Kawhi Leonard: the rise of the selfish athlete is more complicated than you think

Athletes are getting chastised for putting themselves first in a sporting world that demands an onus on the team and not the individual

Some superstars are pushing back, creating boundaries and making sure they take care of themselves first in the cutthroat world of professional sports

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Naomi Osaka has been called selfish for walking away from the game of tennis, but it is a smart move for her long-term mental health. Photo: Kyodo

Published: 9:00pm, 14 Sep 2021

The adage in team sports is the team comes first, and the individual is second. That athletes are part of something bigger than themselves.

This has driven team sport ideology for years, starting in childhood when kids are yelled at by their first coach and carried on through to the professional ranks. “Take one for the team”, a well-worn cliché that dates back to the 1970s when baseball players would allow themselves to get hit by a pitch to get on base.

The phrase helps teams create chemistry, make crucial plays and win championships. When everyone is willing to sacrifice for the greater good, great things can happen.

As Cristiano Ronaldo left Juventus with a year left on his contract for Manchester United to chase another Champions League title, and Kawhi Leonard kept the Los Angeles Clippers waiting while he weighed his options this summer, the rise of the selfish athlete has arrived. Superstar players are realising their needs are paramount, and with unrivalled skill comes a certain degree of autonomy and the right to look out for themselves first.

Leonard is one of sport’s most notably selfish athletes. Who can forget the NBA off-season of 2019? Fresh off a championship with the Toronto Raptors, the small forward kept everyone waiting with bated breath until July when he finally signed with the Clippers.

Kawhi Leonard, selfish or smart? Photo: USA Today